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SEO

You work your butt off hammering out content on a weekly (sometimes daily) basis.

You tweet, you post, you share, you submit your posts to social bookmarking sites… you beg and plead for people to open up your well-thought-out headlines. (Pimping yourself out every single way you know how).

And here you are. Stuck.

It’s like no matter how hard you try, you are at this seemingly insurmountable plateau. Your visitors per day have either stayed the same or dropped off, you can’t pay anyone to join your email list, and your sales? Well, it’s obvious what’s happened to them.

And you are left scratching your head with one hand, large glass of wine in the other like WTF happened? (Don’t worry it happens to the best of us).

And instead of second guessing your entire marketing strategy and thinking that your content suddenly sucks, maybe you should consider that your site is just working too damn slow?

And you need to put her chunky butt on a serious diet.

Believe it or not, site speed isn’t just about page load time. It doesn’t just affect how long someone will have to wait for your site to load. (Well it does but the impact has greater implications).

Site speed affects some pretty heavy hitting factors like search rank, bounce rate, pageviews, reader experience, conversions, and your revenue. (You could be leaving some serious money on the table bc your site is dragging ass).

*sees ears perking up now that I mention money*

You can relate to that, understand that you are losing money. That is important to every business. Actually it’s what makes a business a freaking business.

Search rankings

Google has let us know that site speed plays a part in their search algorithm. If your page load time is slower, then over time you will rank lower.

This is highly because of user experience. Remember that Google’s job is to provide its searchers with the best possible search experience (how they stay on top of their game). So if they see a sight that is performing poorly, they are less likely to rank it very high.

Pageviews

Pageviews will drop, meaning you will lose visitors on your site quicker if your pages are loading slowly. We are an impatient bunch. Even half a second can make a dramatic difference.

Conversions

The slower your site, the less it will convert. When you have the right landing page elements in place (this includes quick load time), your conversions will be much better and you will see better results.

Revenue

Along with conversions comes revenue. If your landing pages don’t convert then you won’t get as many leads. If your pageviews drop then people aren’t staying on your site long enough to even read your services, because it’s too damn difficult to get to.

Your revenue is directly tied to your site speed. A one second delay can cost you 7% of your sales! So if you are making 50,000 a year from your site, then you are leaving $3,500 on the table each year! (That stat is brought to you by Strangeloop)

Reader or user experience

I already shared with you how Google feels about user experience. The bottom line is, slow site means less pageviews, higher bounce rate, lower conversions, and less return visitors.

If a user finds it difficult to navigate around your site, or they have to wait (even a half a second longer), then you lose them. And the potential revenue from that user, and the potential word of mouth, and the potential shares, and the potential to create a brand ambassador-the list goes on.

Get obsessed.

If you have never considered how site speed is affecting your outcomes, now is the time. You need to either study it and learn it yourself (the long way), or you need to hire someone to do it for you. Because who has $3,500 to throw away each year.

And for what? 1 second?

Stay tuned for more upcoming articles on site speed. (I’m obsessed). And also worksheets, printables, and the save my site $3,500 a year essentials you will need to gain back your competitive advantage! Sign up below so you don’t miss a thing!

The term lead conversion is just a fancy way of saying “get more sales” and in the end, that’s what every website owner wants. (If you hold tight, I’m going to tell you exactly how you can increase your conversion rates and get more sales).

I mean, you haven’t worked your ass off all this time just to have traffic that doesn’t convert did you? (Please God say no).

And please don’t tell me you’re in it for the followers… (crickets chirp)

No, I know that I am talking to sane, rational REAL business owners and the bottom line is if you aren’t converting customers or trying to get more sales, then you might not be in this thing very long.

Enough of that. Let’s talk lead conversion.

Remember when you first started out? The late nights watching your analytics… how excited you got when you realized that people (other than your mom) were actually coming to your blog. (Raises hand-guilty). The feeling of accomplishment, excitement, and amazement.

And then it happens, that new-car excitement dies down and you realize it’s just another car and it kind of served the same exact purpose as the last car… It’s just a vehicle to get you where you want to go.

The more mature you grow in business online (yes, it’s a growth process) you start to shift your focus from traffic to conversions. It’s no longer exciting to see traffic, it’s not about how many people you can get to read your blog or like your Facebook page.

It’s about how many people actually trust you enough to buy something from you.

And that, my fellow internet-sellers, is some hard shit. Plain and simple. (So don’t feel bad if you suck at lead conversion, you are NOT alone).

If you are having trouble converting your traffic here are a few tips for you

1. Make it clear what you are selling

Please, for the love of everything pink and glittery don’t hide what you want to sell. If you are selling your services, make sure we can see them. If you have a product, I should know right away what it is when I come to your site. Ask a friend, relative, stranger on the street if they can tell in less than 30 seconds of being on your site what you sell.

Hopefully they will be able to tell that you are selling something at all.

(note: your business model may be focused on collecting subscribers and selling to your email list. Great, make sure that is the forefront on your site. Same principle, different conversion that you would be measuring)

2. Hire a copywriter

It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it. Sometimes we just don’t have it in us and need help. If your business is important you will learn to outsource things. (aka leave it to the experts). Copywriting is HUGE for conversions. If you are getting traffic but aren’t seeing conversions it may be your copy that is killing it for you.

(And here’s where I’m going to tell you to HIRE ME to do your copywriting, because I actually own this space and blog and can do whatever I want, and because I know I can help you. And because I like money)

3. Focus on targeted traffic

Another reason why some sites don’t convert well is because they are getting the wrong traffic. You may want to revisit your keywords, tweak your social media campaigns, and once again, hire a copywriter. You might be attracting the wrong audience with your copy, and you may need to get more specific with your keywords.

4. Have a sales funnel in place

Most people won’t buy from you right away. Unless you are selling cheap panties. And in that case who really cares because they just spent that on a beer the night before. You need to have a sales funnel in place (aka email) where you can capture those leads who you will later convert.

That may be your only chance. They may never come back to visit your site.

5. Be noticed in search

People who use search engines are looking to buy a product or service. (For the most part). So traffic brought to you buy search engines converts better than social media traffic. It’s important to get yourself out there right where your customers can find you. Meaning optimize your site for search engines because that’s how you get more sales.

AND…

Be consistent, don’t give up, keep growing and learning. Growing an online business is tough but it’s rewarding. We are in this thing together mate.

If you don’t mind, share this with your friends. I’d hate for them to be left out, share the love.

If you are spending your time pumping out posts, engaging with people, and working your social media then you should be making something.

But why still, do people still manage to come up empty handed or making very little from all their hard work and passion?

I say enough.

There is no magic formula, there is no quick scheme, but if you put in the work, you should be making money from your blog. If you aren’t, then you it’s time to figure this thing out. Because I know that if I can do this, then anyone can do this. Period.

I work with people all the time who need help monetizing their blogs and I run into the same few issues all of the time. Usually one or more of these is the reason why people aren’t making money from their blog. It could be the reason you are struggling too. Let’s explore these bad boys.

6 Reasons You Aren’t Making Money From Your Blog

You aren’t selling anything

Don’t think there is any surprise there. If you are not selling anything, then you can’t make any money.

Here’s the thing, even if you don’t have a product or service (which I would strongly recommend no matter what type of blog you have), you should be selling something. If you are selling a lifestyle, and then marketing affiliate products on your blog that’s great. If you are selling information at the price of a membership, that’ll work too.

The thing is, you have got to be selling something. Newbie bloggers almost always make this mistake. Start right away, the learning curve can be a little steep if you have never done it before.

Remember, products+services=cash. Got it?

No one knows what you are selling

Raise your hand if you have ever visited a blog and had no idea what that person was selling, or even if they were selling something. *everyone in the room raises their hand*

If it is not apparent what you are selling, or what your blog is about, then guess what? Yes, you guessed it, no one will buy anything. It’s because they don’t know it exists. There is no shame in highlighting what you are selling. It’s your own damn website, if you can’t highlight yourself on your own site, then babes we’ve got bigger problems than making money…

It’s like winking at a girl in a dark room. You know what you are doing, but no one else does.

You aren’t getting the right traffic

If I ask you what people are searching for that find your site what would you say? If you don’t know, then the chances are very high that you aren’t getting targeted traffic. You are just throwing content out there and hoping that somehow it reaches the right (people who will pay for what you are selling) audience.

SEO is the most powerful tool for attracting the right audience through search engines. Getting out there on the right social media platforms (you know, the ones where your paying customers would be) is also important. Make sure you are postioning yourself right where your audience can find you when they are ready to buy.

That thing called marketing

This kind of goes hand in hand with attracting the right traffic. But let’s take it one step further. Marketing means selling. Bottom line, the end result of marketing should be sales. If you don’t have sales, your marketing sucks.

You have got to put yourself out there. This means that on social media you should be out there actively engaging, being helpful, and talking about your products. (Beware of pushing your products, but don’t shy away from sharing great value with those who need it. Remember people have to know that you care until they care what you know).

Use PPC and Facebook ads. The first promoted post I did on Facebook cost $15 and a few days and I made a quick few hundred bucks from it. So it definitely paid for itself. (Of course this was after I slaved away building a following, establishing trust, and building credibility).

You are forgetting about them

Are you thinking about your potential customers enough? Is your site designed for them? Are you writing to them? Are your products and services easy for them to understand and to use?

Don’t forget that’s it is ALL about them, not you.

This is also where good copywriting comes in. Like the kind that goes down in The Copy Shop.

You aren’t treating your blog like a business

The best piece of blog advice I’ve ever gotten was to treat my blog like a business. And if you are trying to make money from your blog, then why shouldn’t you. It is a business.

This means being consistent, persistent, and treating every interaction like a potential sale. If you want your blog to ever make you a dime, treat it as such.

Wait! Before you go, if you liked this article then please share it with your friends. Also, take a second to sign up below to receive free updates and sometimes exclusive promotions that I extend to my email subscribers. Just because I love it when you love me. I’ll see you on the inside! Cheers!

If you have been paying attention, then you understand that you need to be blogging. There is this big push for you to start a blog, whether you are a business owner looking for more exposure or if you are looking for something else to do to earn a little side change (something strange for a piece of change… lol nevermind..). If you have ever read this blog before you know I’m a big fan (of the blog, not something strange).

So now that you’ve jumped in to these sometimes murky blogging waters there are a few things that you NEED to know about growing a blog. If you haven’t noticed, it’s not all that easy.

7 Things You Need To Know Right This Minute About Growing A Blog

1. No one knows you and no one gives a shit about you or your blog

There, I said it. That’s the truth. No one is going to come to read your blog just because you are you (even though you and I both know that you are awesome). Last I checked, there are MILLIONS of blogs out there, MILLIONS of people blogging about exactly what you are blogging about, and MILLIONS of people working on growing a blog that no one cares about.

So HOW do you MAKE them care?

2. There has to be SOMETHING in it for THEM

We are all selfish. Everyone wants to know what’s in it for them. Hell, I want to know the same thing. If I am going read your blog then it has to benefit me in some way or be just flat out entertaining. What is it that will make people want to read your blog? If you don’t know… your blog won’t grow until you figure that out.

3. If you build it, they WON’T just come

This isn’t the field of dreams, just because you have a dream and build a blog doesn’t mean anyone will come. You’ll have to do a little marketing (internet, social media, email) to really make a splash. And you will need to know a little SEO for your blog.

4. Not all traffic is created equal

I used to care about traffic. Now all I care about is conversions. I don’t care if 10,000 people are coming to my blog if no one is signing up for email, leaving comments, joining me on Facebook, or buying my shit. It’s not like I am an exhibit at the museum. I need traffic that does more than read and leave like a bad one night stand.

I want to convert. So focus less on volume, more on quality and conversions. Same goes for your social media numbers.

5. Email lists are the lifeblood of blogs

You own your email list. If something ever happens and Facebook shuts down, WordPress pulls its software, Twitter tanks, you still have your core following right at your fingertips.

Plus, those are the people who will buy from you. If you want to make any money from your blog you will eventually have to sell something sorry. And when you do, it’ll be your email list that will generate the most cash flow.

6. You don’t have to be a great writer to be a great blogger

But there is a method to the madness. You can’t just slap up some half-assed content and expect people to love it. Great bloggers know how to entertain, inform, and also know how to make it look decent on a computer screen so their readers don’t want to claw their eyes out. You just need to learn how to write a good blog post.

Quick Tip: lose the long, boring, fluff-filled paragraphs, say hello to headings, subheadings, bullets, numbers, and paragraphs that are no longer than 5 LINES! And say what you mean in the easiest, shortest way possible.

7. Bloggin’ ain’t easy

Neither is pimpin, but the rewards can be amazing for you if you stick to it. You have to be in it for the long haul. And growing a blog doesn’t happen overnight, but keep learning, keep writing great content, and keep interacting with your audience and it will grow.

Need more tips on growing a blog? This is where I tell you to sign up for the email… you know, the lifeblood of my blog. In hopes that someday you might buy something from me. No, I’m not giving you anything for free (see this post for explaination), other than my good looks and general awesomeness.

Oh and I talk about blogging, making money from it, SEO, and social media too 🙂 See you on the inside!

Can you make money with your blog/website? Yes. Does having a blog for your business help you sell more services or products? Yes. But it’s NOT about how much traffic you can get to your site. It’s not about plastering your links all over social media (which I hate).

It’s about attracting the right audience. It’s about being there when those people who want to buy what you are selling are looking and ready to buy. Simple.

How To Get People To Your Blog- The Right People

10,000 monthly unique visitors means nothing. It’s time to start focusing on conversions and paying attention to who is reading your blog, and what they are doing on your blog. It’s no longer about how to get people to your blog, it’s about how to get the right people to your blog.

Search Engine Optimization Reigns Supreme

I manage people’s social media for a living. So I obviously believe in it’s power somewhat. I think it’s a great marketing channel where you can interact with people and show who you really are.

But SEO still reigns supreme. Why?

Because roughly 46% of people who are searching for something on the internet are looking to buy a product or service. Your goal is to position your blog right where the people who are looking for it can find it.

SEO can go deep, and get way more complicated than you need to know. For now we will just talk about keyword phrases. For more tutorials on SEO go HERE.

Keyword Phrases Freaking Matter: Using Keyword Phrases To Attract The Right Audience

If you were to search Google for what you are selling, what would you type in the search box? How would the people you are trying to reach find the product or service you are selling?

Here’s a good exercise to help you find relevant keywords:

Let’s work backwards. You know, most often the best keywords are not the most obvious ones. For example if you are selling fitness videos you may think people are only searching for that with terms like “fitness videos” or “get in shape”. and you would be right, but those keyword phrases are very competitive and if you are an infant blogger you can forget about ranking in Google for those terms.

Instead, I want you to think about the benefits of your product or service. What question does it answer? In this case the question may be, “how to feel good about yourself” or “how to increase self confidence” and the answer is your fitness video. You can feel good about yourself and increase self confidence if you do these workouts. Get it?

So ask yourself, what is the benefit of my product or service? What problem am I solving? And use those answers to develop your keyword phrases.

This is how you will attract those visitors that matter. That will buy something. Because you are positioning yourself to be there to answer their question.

Keywords Are A Great Start, But They Are Only The Beginning

Make sure you brush up on all the posts I have about SEO and keywords. Learn as much as you can so that you can work to position your blog in that sweet spot.

Need Help Using Keywords In Your Blog Posts?

Starting out it can be confusing. Keywords, SEO, social media, it can be overwhelming. but SEO can be easy. Wordpress SEO by Yoast Plugin is a great plugin to help you with SEO, but it doesn’t help you get the whole picture. I use Scribe by Copyblogger. Scribe is a plugin that not only helps you with finding great keywords, but also where and how much to put them in your blog post, how to master internal linking, and other great on page SEO must do’s.

It’s like SEO for dummies. Except you would be really smart if you got this. Find out more here.

You would also be really smart if you signed up below to receive free updates from yours truly. Your blog will thank you later.

I love content landing pages. Love them. Why? Because if content is King, then a content landing page is the throne…

A little cheesy, and yes, I am a little tired of the whole “content is king” reference. Promise, I won’t use it again (well at least not in this post).

I started creating content landing pages about a year ago and have become completely hooked. I have to resist the urge to connect every single blog post to a content landing page. (Although… it’s not a bad idea).

Before we go any further, let’s talk about what a content landing page is exactly

A landing page, or sometimes called a squeeze page is a page with a purpose. It is most commonly used to sell something. Such as a book or course or whatever. You are directed to a page and they ask you to buy it like 3 zillion times… Ugh. I hate those, don’t you?

Sometimes what is asked of you is a little more subtle. Maybe you are simply invited to like a Facebook page or sign up for an email list. Maybe the goal is to get you to download something. There is always a definitive purpose, and it is always clear. We call this a call to action in blogging land.

A content landing page, however, doesn’t nessesarily have a call to aciton. Rather, the purpose and the focus, is all about the content.

Why I love content landing pages, and what I use them for

Organize Your Content

I created the landing page Starting A Blog because I wanted a place to organize all of my blog posts that would be beneficial to people who are looking to start a blog for the first time.

I organize my content because I like it, and because I want my readers to have a better experience. As opposed to having to search through my archives to find what they need, I pay attention to what my visitors are reading and how they are finding my blog in search (keywords), and then I create landing pages that support that.

SEO Value

Did you know that your best content should be no more than 2 links away from your home page? On a blog, the most recent posts are what’s shown on the home page. If you have a popular post, but it is no longer on the front page it will lose SEO value. The more you update, the more you will push that content back.

Landing pages give you a chance to be able to keep your most popular posts, on the home page. I do it by creating “tutorials”. If you noticed in my home page navigation, I have a link to the tutorials.

Having all your links in one place makes it great for SEO. If one of your posts is really popular, than by including it on the landing page with other related posts, you are linking those together which will help landing page SEO and every page on there.

Makes Creating Content Easier

Creating content becomes a little easier when you organize it into landing pages. If you notice that people are finding you blog from searching “how to market yourself” then create a landing page titled, “how to market yourself” and then write posts that will teach people how to market themselves.